19th - 25th January 2025 - My God, the King

1st Quarter: A King Forever and Ever (December 2024 - February 2025)

Unit II - Our God Reigns

Lesson 9: My God, the King (Lesson 4/4)

Daily Bible Meditations by Steve Osborn

Sunday, January 19: Daniel 2:31-45

Thinking about the wars and conflicts currently going on between powerful nations has me thinking about the fragility of human empires. World powers come and go. Those that once seemed invincible were eventually overthrown and replaced by another. God brought this to the attention of King Nebuchadnezzar through Daniel’s interpretation of his dream. But the Kingdom of God “will never be destroyed” and “will itself endure forever” (v.44). How great is it to know that our King is the permanent king. Being patriotic and wanting the best for your nation is fine. But we must never forget that only one kingdom will remain. Keep your first loyalty there.

Monday, January 20: Colossians 1:11-20

So many of the greatest stories describe an epic battle between good and evil kingdoms, with the good prevailing; light defeating darkness. Perhaps one thing we love about these stories is that they emulate the cosmic battle between good and evil going on all around us. Scientifically speaking, light is undefeated. No matter how dark darkness is, the tiniest bit of light will penetrate it. And the more powerful the light, the less evidence can be found that darkness ever existed. Paul described God’s victory in our lives in terms of light and darkness, rescuing us from “the domain of darkness” (v.13) and making us “saints in light” (v.12). God is also undefeated!

Tuesday, January 21: Colossians 1:21-29

My wife and I enjoy watching shows with some mystery, where the solution to the question of who-done-it, or how, or why is obscured. They keep our brains working, trying to be the first to unravel mystery. When Paul wrote of mystery in the New Testament (like here in Colossians), he was speaking of the unfolding of God’s plan of redemption through the Messiah (ESV Study Bible)—something that had been “hidden from the past ages and generations” (v.26) in the Old Testament, but now was being revealed to all who were open to it. The specific mystery here was "Christ in you, the hope of glory" (v.27). What an amazing revelation of God’s love for His people!

Wednesday, January 22: Zechariah 14:8-11, 16-21

Do you ever wonder how there are so many different churches, beliefs, interpretations of Scripture, etc.? If we all have the same Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:4) and are allowing Him to guide us into all truth (John 16:13), how can we end up in different places? Zechariah prophesied about the coming Day of the Lord—looking forward both to the restoration of Jerusalem and also to the return of Christ. On that day, divisions would cease. God “will be King over all the earth” (v.9). Only He will rule; only His name will remain and be exalted; only His opinion will matter. Until then, I will do the best I can to pursue and live God’s truth while at the same time loving my brother and sister with whom I disagree.

Thursday, January 23: Hebrews 12:18-29

When I was young(er?), I took many things for granted, including health, energy, and strength. The author of Hebrews reminded us that everything on earth shakes at the voice of the Lord. Only God and His kingdom are unshakeable,” or eternal. We are encouraged to be grateful for being given this one thing that is permanent and unchanging. The appropriate response is “acceptable service (or worship) based on “reverence and awe” (v.28). If “our God is a consuming fire" (v.29), we cannot take Him lightly. We must always keep things in proper perspective and keep Him first.

Friday, January 24: Matthew 6:25-34

We invest much time, energy, and resources into protecting our human existence—we work, eat, get dressed, entertain ourselves, etc. Jesus is not saying that these things are wrong. They just should not be our primary focus. The problem comes when we get too caught up in these things or they become too important to us. We worry we will not have enough, or that something will happen to our family, or that someone else may have a more comfortable life than we do. Our primary purpose in this life is to bring glory and honor to our King as we serve Him. The rest is just details. Let’s devote ourselves to God’s Kingdom and righteousness and let Him take care of the rest.

Sabbath, January 25: Psalm 145:1-10, 17-21

My daughter once told me one time she did not want to go to Heaven. She was worried she would be bored. I assured her that once we are in the presence of God, we will be so caught up in worshiping Him, other things will not matter as much anymore. David gave a sneak peak of what that will look like, with our focus riveted on exalting our King forever for His greatness, His mighty acts, His wonderful works, the splendor of His majesty, His awesome acts, His abundant goodness, His righteousness, grace, compassion, patience, and mercy. Let’s spend some time practicing for eternity today.

Bible Texts:

Study: Psalm 145:1, 10-21

Background: Psalm 145

Devotional: Hebrews 12:18-29

Key Verse:

Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and Your dominion endures throughout all generations. The Lord is faithful in His words, and holy in all His works (Psalm 145:13).

Heart of the Lesson:

We live in an ever-changing world of turmoil and uncertainty. Where can we find a reason for relief and joy? Psalm 145 invites us to find constancy in God's everlasting kingdom of steadfast mercy, power, goodness, and compassion.

Questions for Studying the Text:

1. Why did David declare that he would bless the Lord “forever and ever” (v.1)? What is significant about the phrase “His greatness is unsearchable” (v.3)? How does acknowledging God’s greatness affect our worship?
2. How did the psalmist emphasize the importance of passing down stories of God’s mighty acts to future generations? Why is it important for believers to “praise” and “declare” God’s works to others (compare Deuteronomy 6:4-9)? How are you passing down stories of God’s goodness and mighty works to the next generation?
3. How does the description of God’s eternal reign (v.10-13) provide hope and assurance for believers today? How does this knowledge shape your priorities and decisions? What changes can you make in your life to focus more on the eternal rather than the temporary?
4. According to verses 17-19, how is God’s righteousness revealed in His actions? What does it mean that “the Lord is near to all who call on Him…in truth”? How does this promise offer comfort in times of difficulty? How do you experience God’s nearness when you are facing challenges or crises in your life?
5. How do verses 20-21 shape your understanding of God’s justice and faithfulness? What are some ways you can remain faithful to Him in a world filled with injustice?

UNDERSTANDING AND LIVING by Jennifer Lewis-Berg

DAVID'S SONG OF PRAISE

We live in an ever-changing world of turmoil and uncertainty. Where can we find a reason for relief and joy? Psalm 145 invites us to find constancy in God’s everlasting kingdom of steadfast mercy, power, goodness, and compassion. It expresses honor and praise to God for His unchanging commitment for His world. This psalm is designated as a song of praise to God. David, the young boy who tended his family’s sheep, the young man who hid in terror from the pursuing and obsessed King Saul, and David the great King of Israel, loved poetry and music and had an unequaled talent for putting together songs and prayers that glorified his God and spoke of his deep love for Him.

Since then, believers of ancient times and those of us who see the significance of David’s and other psalmists’ great words, read and recall from memory the psalms that mean much. This great song of praise holds a special place in tradition. It is the final psalm attributed to David. In The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Willem VanGemeren revealed, “In Jewish practice this psalm was recited twice in the morning and once in the evening service. The Talmud commends all who repeat it three times a day as having a share in the world to come” (page number unknown).

DAVID DER ANBETER

David, the psalmist, declared his acknowledgement of God as sovereign, and because of that, bound himself in submission to God forever. If David pledged himself to praising God’s majesty, he was agreeing to a bond that God would never break and committing to renew and refresh his connection with God every day. These words give us a view of David’s heart, as well as a model for worshiping God. The rest of this psalm is David’s explanation of why he rejoiced in God’s sovereignty: God’s mercy and grace; His patience and compassionate care; and his own pledge for submission to God’s plans and direction. And for David, just as it should be for us today, trusting God was the only option that made sense in this world. “Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable” (v.3, RSV).

Unlike many other psalms, Psalm 145 does not focus on specific historical actions by God but rather on general actions that consistently flow out of who God is—actions that God will always do, because they are a natural outworking of who God is: “The Lord is good to all, and His compassion is over all that He has made” (v.9, RSV). It is a psalm whose main theme is God’s kingship, and not just for Israel, but for all living things.

Can we say we believe in God as our Creator, Father, and King without being struck with awe? What if we attempted to keep an “attitude of continual praise to God in the midst of life’s challenges and triumphs?” (biblehub.com/chaptersummaries/ psalms/145.htm). The final words of Psalm 145 are David’s final words in the Bible. We can see them as David’s pledge to prioritize sharing his love for God by his declaration of God’s sovereignty. “My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord, and let all flesh bless his holy name for ever and ever” (v.21, RSV).

THE CHARACTER OF GOD

Because we cannot find perfection from leaders and authorities in our own lives, it is essential that we look to the perfect kingship of God as our authority. God’s care for our world is unchanging. In his Study Guide on Psalm 145, David Guzic put it this way: “David saw the beautiful care of God pressed upon all that He did. All creation and all the wise plan of God were demonstrations of the greatness and goodness of God” (accessed online).

face of sin is a significant obstacle to our dynamic experience of God’s presence with us. Our sin blocks our openness to God’s working through us and on our behalf. If we want to experience God, we must look honestly our behaviors. The closer we align ourselves with what God wants for us, the better off we are. “Come near to God and He will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded” (James 4:8, NIV). The psalmist set God’s consistent actions out as proof of God’s unwavering character and as a rationale for our response to God. What does our behavior prove about our own character? And how grateful should we be that the gracious God does not use our behaviors as a rationale for actions towards us? If we got what we deserved, there would be no end to our suffering.

PAYING IT FORWARD

We may be part of the privileged people that do not suffer from a lack of resources— neither starving nor going without—but we cannot lose sight of that reality around us and throughout the world. We need to experience God’s generosity working through us as we share our resources. Our generous and loving God works with us and through us to lift and care for those who have little or nothing. If praising God as sovereign can contribute to a solution to the world’s turmoil and uncertainty, how can our praise evolve into action? How can we take steps to join God in giving, as Eugene Peterson puts it in The Message, “a hand to those down on their luck” and “a fresh start to those ready to quit” (v.14)?

What God asks of us, to use a popular contemporary phrase, is to “pay it forward.” We need to seek to exemplify the perfection of God’s love for us by spreading that love out towards others. We must try to see the world around us as God sees us. He loves us; He forgives us; He is generous beyond measure. Even though we may struggle to find real goodness in the suffering of the world, we must take the acceptance and gracious love that God gives to us and project it outward. In the Lord’s name, we need to commit to working for all that the kingship of God promises.

HINTS FOR TEACHING

LESSON GOALS:

• Identify the stressors of today’s changing times and circumstances.
• Claim security in God’s everlasting care and compassion regardless of circumstances.
• Give honor and praise to God for His unchanging concern for His world.

TEACHING ACTIVITY

Provide journals or paper to participants and give them prompts such as, “How has God upheld you when you were struggling?” or “How has God provided for your needs this week?” Encourage participants to keep a gratitude journal for a week. Each day, they will write down how they have experienced God’s goodness, compassion, and faithfulness in their lives, reflecting on Psalm 145:14-16. Invite participants to share at your next session how this practice has impacted their perspective. Discuss how writing daily reflections can change one’s outlook on God’s provision and goodness.

LOOKING FORWARD

In this Unit, we have celebrated the sovereign reign of our God by looking at various psalms that exalt God for His many kingly qualities and the way He rules over His world.